Chapter 90: Mercenary guild once again (1/2)

”Huh?” Layn's vocabulary momentarily limited to just this single world. While infusing energy into his brain tissue was the solution the archmage figured out based on the knowledge of the rules and laws of the world he knew, there was still a hint of doubt whether it would work in the first place. .

And from the looks of it, it did.

”Wait,” noticing Layn's uneasy look, Irea backed out with shock appearing in her eyes. ”Are you for real? Did you already reach the second stage?!” Irea almost dropped the few things that she took from her home upon realizing the truth.

”Well, I would lie if I were to claim otherwise,” Layn turned his eyes to the side, unwilling to let the girl look into his eyes directly. ”But let's stop with that. How about we hit the guild on our way out?” Layn didn't bother to wait for Irea's response, instantly pulling her back the way they came from. ”I hope it's still open even so late in the night. I seriously didn't expect for everything to close so quickly here.”

Layn was aware that there was no point in looking for the quality of life that he was used to in his original time in this city. 'But to think that the entire city would be as good as dead,' thought Layn while shaking his head.

The road to the adventurer's guild was relatively simple. As it was located near the outer end of the city, all they had to do was to basically return to the gate of the outer academy before doubling the distance they traveled within the city… just by changing the direction of it.

In less than an hour, Layn and Irea stopped before the thick doors leading to the guild. The bright light seeping from underneath the windows' shuts only proved Layn's hopes right this time.

”Okay, now that we are here, are you going to tell me what we are here for?” Irea let go of Layn's hand before moving in front of him, blocking his path to the building's doors.

”Isn't isn't it obvious?” Layn looked at Irea as if she was some kind of clueless child. ”I thought that you would prefer if we grabbed your friends from that party, how was it called… Wild wolves I guess?” Rubbing his chin to recall this small detail, Layn then looked directly into Irea's eyes. ”Or could it be that you no longer consider them important?”

”Ah!” After a moment of silence coupled with a truly angered look on Irea's face, Layn realized how did his words sound like. ”Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say you are heartless or disloyal. I just thought that it was something like a permanent team you would always join forces with rather than just a makeshift group organized for the shared purpose.”

Layn looked back at the memories he made back in the desert. With how everyone reacted to the death of one of their own, with how the entire group appeared to be indebted to that bastard Layn cut himself… It just felt as if the 'wild wolves' were a group consisting of permanent members, with permanent agenda.

”Well, it's not like I don't care for them… But you want them to join us not only to save them from what's going to happen nearby but also to have them as the first batch of disciples for your academy, am I right?” Irea took a step forward before placing her forefinger under Layn's chin, only to pull it up a moment later.

”I won't ask how did you know. But yeah, that was the idea,” answered Layn while feeling the pressure from the position this girl put him in. With Irea's finger probing Layn's chin upward, even despite her smaller posture or personal power, she was able to exert dominance over the man.

”Then we cannot ask them to join us. I know them far longer than you.” Irea shook her head while moving her eyes towards the lit windows of the building nearby. ”They would never allow anyone to put their beliefs into doubt, so your teachings would likely fall on an unfertile ground.”

”Even if I were to show them the prowess behind them?” asked Layn while leaning his head over his shoulder.

”Yes,  even then,” Irea replied while hanging her head low. ”Don't underestimate how obstinate people can be when someone will challenge what they believed in for their entire life,” added Layn's girlfriend in a muffled voice.

”How come you didn't have any problems like that, then?” asked Layn while looking at Irea's cute expression.

”Well, you didn't really leave me with any option not to accept it,” Irea replied while growing a small smile on her face. Yet, before the discussion could develop any further, the noise coming from the building beside them finally alerted both of them about their purpose in this place.

”Ugh.” Layn moaned while a shiver traveled down his spine. The same feeling from before appeared, yet this time, far stronger.